Most of the time, Windows automatically sees any printer on the same network as your PC. But what if your computer can’t see the printer, or simply refuses to connect? Adding a printer on a local network is simple in theory, but the reality is that, when the process goes wrong, it can be tricky to unravel.

Running the "Add a printer or scanner" wizard or the printer troubleshooter should fix the problem, in most cases. If this doesn't work, though, these easy troubleshooting steps can rescue the day.

Find a Connected Printer

A printer can connect to a network on either an Ethernet or Wi-Fi local area network (LAN), or you can connect it directly via USB to a computer on the network. Either connection type can be shared with other users on the network by enabling print sharing on the server or on the computer to which the USB printer is connected.

Windows' "Add a printer or scanner" wizard is accessible from the "Printers & scanners" section in the Settings Control Panel. (In Windows 7, it’s the Add Printer wizard accessible from the Devices and Printers Control Panel.) The specific details vary between Windows versions, but the procedure is pretty much the same.

However, unlike earlier versions, Windows 10 doesn’t usually require you to run a wizard in the first place. Instead, when you plug your Ethernet cable into the printer or connect the printer to your wireless network, in most cases the printer will simply show up automatically in the list of installed devices.

When you install a printer on your LAN, it will usually show up automatically in the list of installed printers and scanners.

(In Windows 7 and earlier versions, when you click the Add Printer link, Windows will automatically search for printers on the network. The printer name(s) will pop up, and you can select one. Add it, and with any luck, you will be ready to print.)

If your device is not listed here, click "Add a printer or scanner." Windows starts searching your network for connected printers and lists its findings, as shown below. Simply click the printer you want to connect to, then click "Add device."

Click "Add a printer or scanner," and Windows starts searching your LAN for new printers.

Windows will move the printer to the list of installed printers and scanners. From here, when you click the printer name in the list, you can manage the machine as desired.

Troubleshooting a Missing Printer

Of course, a printer doesn't always install as it should. It may not appear at all in the list of available printers, or you might get a message that Windows can't connect to it. The first steps would be to make sure of the basics.

That means ensuring the printer is on and connected to the same network as the PC to which you want it added. You should also check that print sharing is enabled on the computer to which it's attached. For a home network, that would be the computer on which you installed the printer's software.

From here, you have two options. Either click the option "The printer that I want isn't listed," located directly below the list of printers discovered in the connected device search, or run the troubleshooter.

One thing to know: Just because you don't see a printer doesn't mean it isn't there. Some IT departments hide the names of all printers by default. Although IT likely has good reasons for doing so, hidden printers can be an impediment when there is a legitimate need for someone to connect to a particular one. There are other issues that may prevent you from seeing an accessible printer, too.

Adding an Unseen Printer

In the "Find a printer by other options" dialog box, you'll see five ways to find and connect to your printer. (Note that this dialog box has only three options in earlier versions of Windows.)

"Find a printer on your network," with the "Find a printer by other options" wizard.

My printer is a little older. Help me find it: When you choose this option, Windows performs another search. If it finds your printer, it will display a second dialog box. Select your printer, and Windows will install the drivers. If your printer is not listed, try one of the other options in this dialog box (which will probably require another "Add a printer or scanner" search from the Printers & scanners Control Panel).

Select a printer by name: To use this option, you must know the name of the computer that the printer is connected to and the network name of the printer itself. If you're doing this in an office for a network-attached printer, and you don't know the printer name, you'll have to ask another employee who uses it, or get it from your IT department. Notice the naming examples directly below this option in the image above.

Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname: Choosing this option brings up the "Type a printer hostname or IP address" dialog box. Here, again, you’ll need to obtain the hostname or IP address. Enter the address or hostname, and click Next.

On a home network, you can get the printer’s IP address from its control panel by printing a status report or from the printer's built-in onboard web portal.

Connecting to the printer using its network IP address.

Windows will query the printer, and then display a list of compatible devices, allowing you to select your printer by manufacturer and type. After making your selections, click Next, and it should connect your PC to the printer. If not, move on to the Running the Troubleshooter section below.

Choose the manufacturer and device type to install the correct printer driver.

Add a Bluetooth, wireless or network discoverable printer: With this option, you can add peer-to-peer network devices that are not actually on your LAN. (Windows does a brute search for all available protocols available to your PC.).

Add a local printer or network with manual settings: Choosing this option runs a wizard that walks you through a series of steps for manually creating a printer port and installing the printer, which requires technical expertise beyond the scope of this entry-level guide.

At any point in the process, or if any one of these methods fails, you can run the Windows troubleshooter to try connecting to the printer.

Related

Running the Troubleshooter

To run the troubleshooter, the printer you’re having trouble connecting or printing to must be displayed in the available devices list in the Printers & scanners Control Panel. To run it, click the printer in the list, then click Manage.

This brings up the "Manage your device" panel for that specific printer. In the list of options near the bottom of the panel, click "Run the troubleshooter."

Find "Run the troubleshooter" and click it.

Windows then starts searching for problems.

The troubleshooter, looking for issues.

If Windows detects a problem, it displays another dialog box informing you of the problem and, depending on what the problem is, provides an "Apply this fix" option and a "Skip this fix" option...

If the troubleshooter finds a problem, it offers you the option of fixing it or continuing the search for problems.

If you choose the former, Windows will attempt to solve the problem and connect to the printer. If you choose the latter, the troubleshooter will continue to run, searching for additional issues.

What happens next depends on a number of factors, including (but not limited to) which option you pick and what problem(s) are detected. In the above example, Windows suggests that making the device the default printer will solve the problem.

If you click "Apply the fix," Windows makes the printer the default and asks you if this solved the problem. If you click "Skip this fix," the troubleshooter starts looking for other issues, and, if it finds any, it displays another dialog asking you if you want to apply the fix or keep looking for problems.

Again, depending on what option you choose and what problems the troubleshooter finds, your issue might be solved right away, or it could take a few tries. In the rare chance these troubleshooting steps can't solve the problem, contact IT or call customer service for your printer's manufacturer.

In most cases, though, the techniques discussed here should eventually connect your PC to the printer. Now, if you know the printer is connected, but you still can't print, it could be a completely different issue that we can help you troubleshoot here.

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About William Harrel

William Harrel is a contributing editor focusing on printer and scanner technology and reviews. He has been writing about computer technology since well before the advent of the internet. He has authored or coauthored 20 books—including titles in the popular "Bible," "Secrets," and "For Dummies" series—on digital design and desktop publishing software applications such as Acrobat, Photoshop, and QuarkXPress, as well as prepress imaging technology. His latest title is HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Mobile Development for Dummies (a handbook for creating websites for smartphones and tablets).
In addition to writing hundreds of articles for PCMag, over the years he has also written for several other computer and business publications, among them Computer Shopper, Digital Trends, MacUser, PC World, The Wirecutter, and Windows Magazine, and he has served as the Printers and Scanners Expert at About.com (now Livewire).

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